andrew mcleanhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/taxonomy/term/7035/%252Ffeed
enGetting Flagstaffed: Will Alta Put a Lift in Backcountry Terrain? http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/2008/09/getting-flagstaffed-will-alta-put-a-lift-in-backcountry-terrain?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>For backcountry skiers around Salt Lake City, Flagstaff Mountain, directly across the street from Alta Ski Resort, is the gateway to the Wasatch range. A 40-minute skin up the peak accesses the Powder Circuit, classic terrain in Days Fork, Silver Fork, and beyond. But this could change. </p>
<p> Alta is studying the feasibility of a lift up south-facing Flagstaff Mountain, says Alta’s Director of Public Relations Connie Marshall. At present, the resort’s ski patrol fires howitzer rounds across Little Cottonwood Canyon Road to control avalanche terrain surrounding the town of Alta. But the use of artillery may not be an option in the future, due to restrictions by the Department of Homeland Security. “One solution would be to set up a new lift so patrollers can do control work without howitzers,” Marshall says, adding that skier compaction would also help. “We’re having a dialogue with the Forest Service, but it’s so very early in the process.” Which begs the question: Could Homeland Security be worried that Al Qaeda has infiltrated ski patrol, or does it believe that Alta hates our freedom? </p>
<p> Backcountry skiers think it’s the latter. Alta’s no-uphill-traffic policy—a necessity while patrollers do avy-control work—means locals wouldn’t be able to skin up Flagstaff to access the goods. And then there’s the issue of skier traffic. A lift would whisk resort-goers right into the heart of the Wasatch, meaning fewer fresh tracks for the earn-your-turns purists. “From a backcountry perspective it would be devastating,” says Andrew McLean, an accomplished ski mountaineer and Wasatch local. “I’ve always liked Alta, but to put a lift on a south-facing aspect is definitely out of character for the resort.” </p>
<p> But sadly, mucking up something that has nothing to do with terrorism is hardly out of character for the Department of Homeland Security. </p>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/2008/09/getting-flagstaffed-will-alta-put-a-lift-in-backcountry-terrain#commentsDestinationsResortsAltaandrew mcleanavalanchebackcountry skiingUtahAlta Ski Areaskiing58000http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/_pages_thumbs/2008-09/skg1008ftat_0.jpg68843http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/_pages_thumbs/2008-09/skg1008ftat_0.jpg68843Utah backcountry skiers are shaking their heads at a possible Alta expansion.<p>For backcountry skiers around Salt Lake City, Flagstaff Mountain, directly across the street from Alta Ski Resort, is the gateway to the Wasatch range. A 40-minute skin up the peak accesses the Powder Circuit, classic terrain in Days Fork, Silver Fork, and beyond. But this could change. </p>
<p> Alta is studying the feasibility of a lift up south-facing Flagstaff Mountain, says Alta’s Director of Public Relations Connie Marshall. At present, the resort’s ski patrol fires howitzer rounds across Little Cottonwood Canyon Road to control avalanche terrain surrounding the town of Alta. But the use of artillery may not be an option in the future, due to restrictions by the Department of Homeland Security. “One solution would be to set up a new lift so patrollers can do control work without howitzers,” Marshall says, adding that skier compaction would also help. “We’re having a dialogue with the Forest Service, but it’s so very early in the process.” Which begs the question: Could Homeland Security be worried that Al Qaeda has infiltrated ski patrol, or does it believe that Alta hates our freedom? </p>
<p> Backcountry skiers think it’s the latter. Alta’s no-uphill-traffic policy—a necessity while patrollers do avy-control work—means locals wouldn’t be able to skin up Flagstaff to access the goods. And then there’s the issue of skier traffic. A lift would whisk resort-goers right into the heart of the Wasatch, meaning fewer fresh tracks for the earn-your-turns purists. “From a backcountry perspective it would be devastating,” says Andrew McLean, an accomplished ski mountaineer and Wasatch local. “I’ve always liked Alta, but to put a lift on a south-facing aspect is definitely out of character for the resort.” </p>
<p> But sadly, mucking up something that has nothing to do with terrorism is hardly out of character for the Department of Homeland Security. </p>
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<div class="photo_credit">Photo by: <span>Skiing Magazine Editor</span></div>
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articleTue, 30 Sep 2008 06:00:01 +0000SkiNet Editor58000 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingBEST-AND ONLY-EXCUSE FOR READING THE <I>TIMES'</I> WEDDINGS PAGE. WORST ACTION SHOT PUBLISHED.http://www.skinet.com/skiing/utah-wedding/2005/10/best-and-only-excuse-for-reading-the-itimesi-weddings-page-worst-action-shot-pu?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p><BR /><BR /><b>SOCIALITES ON ICE</b><br />February 13, 2005. <I>The New York Times</i> devotes more than half a page to the on-snow Alta, Utah, wedding of legendary ski mountaineer Andrew McLean. However, the <I>Times</i> runs this dorky photo of the bride and groom snowplowing in their wedding togs.
</p><p>September 2005</p>
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<a href="/skiing/cold-ledge/2004/09/a-clean-getaway">A Clean Getaway</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/resorts/east-coast/2003/08/big-baffin-action">Big Baffin Action</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/gear/bindings/alpine/2004/07/break-your-lift-addiction">Break Your Lift Addiction</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/pierre-beghin/2003/10/hunter-becomes-the-hunted">Hunter Becomes The Hunted</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/2003/11/11-excuses-for-not-skiing-with-andrew-mclean">11 Excuses For NOT Skiing with Andrew McLean</a> </div>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/utah-wedding/2005/10/best-and-only-excuse-for-reading-the-itimesi-weddings-page-worst-action-shot-pu#commentsalta utahandrew mcleanexcusenew york timesphotographerskiing11717http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/2005/sept05/skg905osaom.jpg48646Open Season: Socialites on Icehttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/Features<p><BR /><BR /><b>SOCIALITES ON ICE</b><br />February 13, 2005. <I>The New York Times</i> devotes more than half a page to the on-snow Alta, Utah, wedding of legendary ski mountaineer Andrew McLean. However, the <I>Times</i> runs this dorky photo of the bride and groom snowplowing in their wedding togs.
</p><p>September 2005</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/cold-ledge/2004/09/a-clean-getaway">A Clean Getaway</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/east-coast/2003/08/big-baffin-action">Big Baffin Action</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/gear/bindings/alpine/2004/07/break-your-lift-addiction">Break Your Lift Addiction</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/pierre-beghin/2003/10/hunter-becomes-the-hunted">Hunter Becomes The Hunted</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/2003/11/11-excuses-for-not-skiing-with-andrew-mclean">11 Excuses For NOT Skiing with Andrew McLean</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
articleThu, 27 Oct 2005 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11717 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingBreak Your Lift Addictionhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/gear/bindings/alpine/2004/07/break-your-lift-addiction?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>Big mountain skiing doesn't shut down with the resorts. In fact, thanks to safer snowpacks and longer days, it's just getting going. To inspire you to fire up your quads and join the ski mountaineering club, we've mapped out three starter peaks with whopper-sized vertical drops (try 7,400 feet), tested the latest alpine touring gear, and distilled pinpointed advice from pro alpinists Hilaree O'Neill, Andrew McLean, and Alison Gannett. Whatever else you need to get going can be found in Doug Coombs's overstuffed pack ("Pack Like a Pro") and the nation's top climbing schools ("Five Top Clinics"). That's everything but the lungpower—can't help you there.</p>
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<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/09/buck-mountain-wy">Buck Mountain, WY</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/flat-expanse/2004/09/mount-adams-wa">Mount Adams, WA</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/09/five-top-clinics">Five Top Clinics</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/exum/2004/09/pack-like-a-pro">Pack Like a Pro</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/gear/skis/2004/09/win-the-avalanche-game">Win the Avalanche Game</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/cold-ledge/2004/09/a-clean-getaway">A Clean Getaway</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/heel-lifts/2004/09/guide-yourself-tip-heavily">Guide Yourself. Tip Heavily.</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/gear/bindings/alpine/2004/07/break-your-lift-addiction#commentsalpine skiingandrew mcleandoug coombsgannettmountain skiingo neillAlpinePolesSkisskiing11842http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Mar04/bigMoutains0304/SKG0304bmat.jpg52308Break Your Lift Addiction 0304
Hitting the 12,000 foot mark on Mount Shasta: Skiers John Fehrman and John Burl. Photo Chris Carr
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Features<p>Big mountain skiing doesn't shut down with the resorts. In fact, thanks to safer snowpacks and longer days, it's just getting going. To inspire you to fire up your quads and join the ski mountaineering club, we've mapped out three starter peaks with whopper-sized vertical drops (try 7,400 feet), tested the latest alpine touring gear, and distilled pinpointed advice from pro alpinists Hilaree O'Neill, Andrew McLean, and Alison Gannett. Whatever else you need to get going can be found in Doug Coombs's overstuffed pack ("Pack Like a Pro") and the nation's top climbing schools ("Five Top Clinics"). That's everything but the lungpower—can't help you there.</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/09/buck-mountain-wy">Buck Mountain, WY</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/flat-expanse/2004/09/mount-adams-wa">Mount Adams, WA</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2004/09/five-top-clinics">Five Top Clinics</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/exum/2004/09/pack-like-a-pro">Pack Like a Pro</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/gear/skis/2004/09/win-the-avalanche-game">Win the Avalanche Game</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/cold-ledge/2004/09/a-clean-getaway">A Clean Getaway</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/heel-lifts/2004/09/guide-yourself-tip-heavily">Guide Yourself. Tip Heavily.</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
articleTue, 06 Jul 2004 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11842 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingTime to Rallyhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/wyoming/2004/02/time-to-rally?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>What do you call a flock of snot-beaked euro-twigs in Lycra huffing upslope on scrawny skis? Sounds like a bad joke, but it's ski-mountaineering racing, an 80-year-old sport that's coming across the Pond in a big way. </p><P>It's known as randonnée rallying here. Four years ago there was one North American race; now there are six. In addition to Life-Link's five-race series that opens in January at Whistler and wraps up in March at Jackson Hole, Black Diamond's Wasatch PowderKeg is a World Cup event in only its second year.</p><P>The sport is simple enough: Racers run to their skis, skin up 1,000 feet or more to a gate, ski down to another, and so on, until they've logged about 5,000 feet of vertical in and out of bounds. Elite racers finish in around two lung-busting hours. And while there are no restrictions against using telemark gear, to be competitive you need a lightweight, controllable, alpine-touring setup. "Tele skiers are getting clobbered," says Andrew McLean, who designed the PowderKeg course.</p><P>As it happens, the spike in rando racing is in synch with a booming AT market: In 2003, the online retailer BackcountryStore.com reported a 260 percent sales increase for the Scarpa Laser AT boot. Life-Link's sales of the Dynafit TLT Tristep binding were up 300 percent. And Backcountry Access, which began distributing the Swiss-made Naxo binding this past fall, said demand has been downright nutty. "We brought in a product that no one had seen, and we had to quadruple our first projection to meet demand," says sales manager Steve Christie. "It's like crack cocaine."</p><P> Despite the epidemic, don't expect North Americans to be whupping Euro-ass anytime soon. The schedule on the Continent includes more than 200 races, the biggest of which see as many as 2,300 competitors, and race programs routinely recruit top athletes. Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who won the Life-Link series last year but got smoked by 20 minutes in the Jackson race by a Spaniard, thinks Yanks just have a different mentality. "My friends and I have always gotten into race mode with each other, but it's one of those deals where it's not cool to admit you're competitive." </p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/wyoming/2004/02/time-to-rally#commentsalpine touringandrew mcleanbackcountry skiingdynafitjackson holeo neills saleswasatchWyomingBootsskiing12523http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Jan04/coldFront/SKG0104cflt.jpg52176Time to Rally
photo by Carl Skoog.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Cold Front<p>What do you call a flock of snot-beaked euro-twigs in Lycra huffing upslope on scrawny skis? Sounds like a bad joke, but it's ski-mountaineering racing, an 80-year-old sport that's coming across the Pond in a big way. </p><P>It's known as randonnée rallying here. Four years ago there was one North American race; now there are six. In addition to Life-Link's five-race series that opens in January at Whistler and wraps up in March at Jackson Hole, Black Diamond's Wasatch PowderKeg is a World Cup event in only its second year.</p><P>The sport is simple enough: Racers run to their skis, skin up 1,000 feet or more to a gate, ski down to another, and so on, until they've logged about 5,000 feet of vertical in and out of bounds. Elite racers finish in around two lung-busting hours. And while there are no restrictions against using telemark gear, to be competitive you need a lightweight, controllable, alpine-touring setup. "Tele skiers are getting clobbered," says Andrew McLean, who designed the PowderKeg course.</p><P>As it happens, the spike in rando racing is in synch with a booming AT market: In 2003, the online retailer BackcountryStore.com reported a 260 percent sales increase for the Scarpa Laser AT boot. Life-Link's sales of the Dynafit TLT Tristep binding were up 300 percent. And Backcountry Access, which began distributing the Swiss-made Naxo binding this past fall, said demand has been downright nutty. "We brought in a product that no one had seen, and we had to quadruple our first projection to meet demand," says sales manager Steve Christie. "It's like crack cocaine."</p><P> Despite the epidemic, don't expect North Americans to be whupping Euro-ass anytime soon. The schedule on the Continent includes more than 200 races, the biggest of which see as many as 2,300 competitors, and race programs routinely recruit top athletes. Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who won the Life-Link series last year but got smoked by 20 minutes in the Jackson race by a Spaniard, thinks Yanks just have a different mentality. "My friends and I have always gotten into race mode with each other, but it's one of those deals where it's not cool to admit you're competitive." </p>
articleWed, 18 Feb 2004 09:15:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12523 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingHockey Hair Wows Competitionhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/canada-ups/2004/02/hockey-hair-wows-competition?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>When Greg Hill showed up to his first randonnée rally at Whistler Blackcomb in January 2003, he had one question: Where are the big dogs? Someone pointed out Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who would go on to win the five-race Life-Link series, and Andrew McLean, one of the foremost ski mountaineers on the continent. Hill sized up his competition and snickered. No problem, he figured, stroking his secret weapon. </p><P>Nobody else had a mullet. </p><P>"I thought it would be funny to startle them, says Hill, 28, who lives in Revelstoke, British Columbia. "So I cut the mullet right before the race: short bangs and a long, long back. It was really gross. </p><P>Hill won the race by 10 seconds over American Jeff Banks (O'Neill took third, McLean fourth), all but straight-lining down a steep, icy, tree-lined run to the finish. Then he puked. </p><P>This year, Hill is on the Canadian national team and plans to do a few Life-Link races, Alta's Wasatch PowderKeg, and the World Championships in Val d'Aran, Spain. His training is impressive, though not scientific: He logs 130 to 150 days a year, and he won't let anyone else break trail. "There's no question who's going to make it up first, says his stepbrother and ski partner, Ian Bissonnette. "Or down. One day last February, the six-foot-tall, 170-pound Hill cranked out 30,000 feet of vertical by doing laps up and down Little Sifton Peak at Rogers Pass. </p><P>But Hill has some wrinkles to iron out if he hopes to challenge the dominant Europeans. At Whistler he lost a skin and had to backtrack to get around the last gate. And, in a sport where an ounce shaved is time gained, Hill showed up on a pair of beefy Völkls. "I think I'll go for a lighter ski this year, he says. But evidently his get-up is just as important. Last year, it was a Camaro cut. This year, "I want to talk to Arc'Teryx and go Canadian Mounty style. Anything to frighten the competition. </p><P><b>Ski Beast</b></p><P><b>Born</b>: December 19, 1975; Cowansville, Quebec, Canada</p><P><b>Ups and Downs</b>: Hill averages 6,000 vert a day in winter. </p><P><b>Work Horse</b>: In the summer, he works as a tree-planting foreman to finance his skiing. Last year he and his 14-person crew planted over a million saplings in B.C. </p><P><b>Hare Apparent</b>: One of Hill's skiing partners, Scott Newsome, ran into him during his 30,000-foot day. "We're about halfway up Little Sifton when Greg pops out of the blue. He's like, 'Hey, man, I've already skied 15,000 vert.' He caught up with us again right when we got to the summit. He lapped us, eh.</p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/canada-ups/2004/02/hockey-hair-wows-competition#commentsandrew mcleanarc teryxo neillrogers passski mountaineersskiing11441http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Feb04/coldFront0204/SKG0204cfft.jpg52265Hockey Hair Wows Competition 0204
Bring on the Euros: Greg Hill, Canuck randonnée prodigy, is ready for mega-lung glory.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Face Shots<p>When Greg Hill showed up to his first randonnée rally at Whistler Blackcomb in January 2003, he had one question: Where are the big dogs? Someone pointed out Exum guide Brendan O'Neill, who would go on to win the five-race Life-Link series, and Andrew McLean, one of the foremost ski mountaineers on the continent. Hill sized up his competition and snickered. No problem, he figured, stroking his secret weapon. </p><P>Nobody else had a mullet. </p><P>"I thought it would be funny to startle them, says Hill, 28, who lives in Revelstoke, British Columbia. "So I cut the mullet right before the race: short bangs and a long, long back. It was really gross. </p><P>Hill won the race by 10 seconds over American Jeff Banks (O'Neill took third, McLean fourth), all but straight-lining down a steep, icy, tree-lined run to the finish. Then he puked. </p><P>This year, Hill is on the Canadian national team and plans to do a few Life-Link races, Alta's Wasatch PowderKeg, and the World Championships in Val d'Aran, Spain. His training is impressive, though not scientific: He logs 130 to 150 days a year, and he won't let anyone else break trail. "There's no question who's going to make it up first, says his stepbrother and ski partner, Ian Bissonnette. "Or down. One day last February, the six-foot-tall, 170-pound Hill cranked out 30,000 feet of vertical by doing laps up and down Little Sifton Peak at Rogers Pass. </p><P>But Hill has some wrinkles to iron out if he hopes to challenge the dominant Europeans. At Whistler he lost a skin and had to backtrack to get around the last gate. And, in a sport where an ounce shaved is time gained, Hill showed up on a pair of beefy Völkls. "I think I'll go for a lighter ski this year, he says. But evidently his get-up is just as important. Last year, it was a Camaro cut. This year, "I want to talk to Arc'Teryx and go Canadian Mounty style. Anything to frighten the competition. </p><P><b>Ski Beast</b></p><P><b>Born</b>: December 19, 1975; Cowansville, Quebec, Canada</p><P><b>Ups and Downs</b>: Hill averages 6,000 vert a day in winter. </p><P><b>Work Horse</b>: In the summer, he works as a tree-planting foreman to finance his skiing. Last year he and his 14-person crew planted over a million saplings in B.C. </p><P><b>Hare Apparent</b>: One of Hill's skiing partners, Scott Newsome, ran into him during his 30,000-foot day. "We're about halfway up Little Sifton when Greg pops out of the blue. He's like, 'Hey, man, I've already skied 15,000 vert.' He caught up with us again right when we got to the summit. He lapped us, eh.</p>
articleWed, 11 Feb 2004 09:40:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11441 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingHunter Becomes The Huntedhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/pierre-beghin/2003/10/hunter-becomes-the-hunted?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>It's been 33 years since Japan's Tsuyoshi Ueki completed the first ski descent of 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. It's been 22 years since Frenchman Pierre Beghin skied the first line on McKinley's 17,400-foot neighbor Mount Foraker. Considering the advanced age of those two feats, you might assume that McKinley's other neighbor, the comparatively pint-sized 14,573-foot Mount Hunter, had been dispatched long ago. In fact, finding a skiable line off the glacier-strewn summit had proven to be so difficult that not a single attempt had been made until 2002. </p><P>"It had been talked about for years, says ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, who along with Americans John Whedon, Lorne Glick, and Armond DeBuque, finally etched the first top-to-bottom lines on Mount Hunter last May. "But even people who'd flown around it in a helicopter had said skiing it was probably impossible.</p><P> After a friend pointed Glick to a couloir off the West Ridge with a potentially skiable line, he and Whedon snuck away to Alaska in May of 2002. Unstable snow turned the trip into a beta-gathering operation, but what they saw only whetted their appetites. "The line was so perfect that we decided to file it away and come back the next year, says Glick, who spent the next nine months trying to keep his mouth shut. </p><P>Their patience was more than rewarded. On May 14, after three stormy days had deposited 18 inches of snow, the four skiers woke up to clear skies at their advance base camp just above 8,000 feet. Departing at 9 p.m., they bootpacked the couloir and then skinned up the West Ridge (McLean on alpine touring gear, the rest on telemark skis), climbing a total of 6,534 feet to the summit in 12 hours. From there it was powder turns all the way down to the crux—the 3,000-foot, 45-degree couloir. As a layer of fog rolled in, the four picked and side-slipped their way down, jumping a couple crevasses, and finally made it safely back to camp by early afternoon. </p><P>Glick says things went so well on Hunter, he's thinking about another Alaskan project for next year. Where? "Afraid I can't tell you, he laughs. </p>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/pierre-beghin/2003/10/hunter-becomes-the-hunted#commentsandrew mcleancouloircrevasseski descenttelemark skisunstable snowskiing12535http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Oct03/Coldfront1003/SKG1003cfbt.jpg52054Cold Front 1003
Secret Stash: Armond DeBuque lines up for Hunter's 3,000-foot crux.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Cold Front<p>It's been 33 years since Japan's Tsuyoshi Ueki completed the first ski descent of 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. It's been 22 years since Frenchman Pierre Beghin skied the first line on McKinley's 17,400-foot neighbor Mount Foraker. Considering the advanced age of those two feats, you might assume that McKinley's other neighbor, the comparatively pint-sized 14,573-foot Mount Hunter, had been dispatched long ago. In fact, finding a skiable line off the glacier-strewn summit had proven to be so difficult that not a single attempt had been made until 2002. </p><P>"It had been talked about for years, says ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, who along with Americans John Whedon, Lorne Glick, and Armond DeBuque, finally etched the first top-to-bottom lines on Mount Hunter last May. "But even people who'd flown around it in a helicopter had said skiing it was probably impossible.</p><P> After a friend pointed Glick to a couloir off the West Ridge with a potentially skiable line, he and Whedon snuck away to Alaska in May of 2002. Unstable snow turned the trip into a beta-gathering operation, but what they saw only whetted their appetites. "The line was so perfect that we decided to file it away and come back the next year, says Glick, who spent the next nine months trying to keep his mouth shut. </p><P>Their patience was more than rewarded. On May 14, after three stormy days had deposited 18 inches of snow, the four skiers woke up to clear skies at their advance base camp just above 8,000 feet. Departing at 9 p.m., they bootpacked the couloir and then skinned up the West Ridge (McLean on alpine touring gear, the rest on telemark skis), climbing a total of 6,534 feet to the summit in 12 hours. From there it was powder turns all the way down to the crux—the 3,000-foot, 45-degree couloir. As a layer of fog rolled in, the four picked and side-slipped their way down, jumping a couple crevasses, and finally made it safely back to camp by early afternoon. </p><P>Glick says things went so well on Hunter, he's thinking about another Alaskan project for next year. Where? "Afraid I can't tell you, he laughs. </p>
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articleWed, 22 Oct 2003 09:40:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12535 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingBig Baffin Actionhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/east-coast/2003/08/big-baffin-action?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>While ski tourers and climbers have been exploring Baffin Island, the world's fifth-largest, since the early 1970s, ski mountaineers have only recently begun to embrace its true potential. Almost four times the size of England, Baffin is a frozen hinterland of sprawling glaciers, sheer granite cliffs, and couloirs that makes even the most seasoned adventurers drool. Andrew Mclean, who has been ski-kiting and peak-bagging on the island for the past three years, has described one of Baffin's classics, the Polar Star Couloir, as "possibly the best skiing couloir on earth, and worth a trip to the area on its own. And between Auyuittuq National Park on the Cumberland Peninsula and the east coast's majestic fjordland, there are literally hundreds of peaks, many of which have yet to be climbed, let alone skied. Last year, a group (led by this writer) made the 5,100-foot-long and relatively mellow (average pitch: 30 to 35 degrees) powder-choked first descent of Baffin's tallest peak, 7,042-foot Mount Odin. This April and May, a half-dozen groups have expeditions planned.<br />
</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2005/01/get-ready-to-rally">Get Ready to Rally</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/avalanche-season/2004/02/can-you-trust-your-guide">Can You Trust Your Guide?</a> </div>
</div>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/east-coast/2003/08/big-baffin-action#commentsandrew mcleanclimberscouloirdrooleast coastfirst descentglaciersski mountaineersEast Coastskiing12542http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/2005/marapr/coldfront/skg305cfct.jpg52612Cold Front, April 2005
Photo courtesy of Jim Surette/Granite Films
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Cold Front<p>While ski tourers and climbers have been exploring Baffin Island, the world's fifth-largest, since the early 1970s, ski mountaineers have only recently begun to embrace its true potential. Almost four times the size of England, Baffin is a frozen hinterland of sprawling glaciers, sheer granite cliffs, and couloirs that makes even the most seasoned adventurers drool. Andrew Mclean, who has been ski-kiting and peak-bagging on the island for the past three years, has described one of Baffin's classics, the Polar Star Couloir, as "possibly the best skiing couloir on earth, and worth a trip to the area on its own. And between Auyuittuq National Park on the Cumberland Peninsula and the east coast's majestic fjordland, there are literally hundreds of peaks, many of which have yet to be climbed, let alone skied. Last year, a group (led by this writer) made the 5,100-foot-long and relatively mellow (average pitch: 30 to 35 degrees) powder-choked first descent of Baffin's tallest peak, 7,042-foot Mount Odin. This April and May, a half-dozen groups have expeditions planned.<br />
</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2005/01/get-ready-to-rally">Get Ready to Rally</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/avalanche-season/2004/02/can-you-trust-your-guide">Can You Trust Your Guide?</a> </div>
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articleWed, 20 Aug 2003 10:35:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12542 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingAndrew McLean: Of Steep and Steeperhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/dawn-patrols/2001/10/andrew-mclean-of-steep-and-steeper?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>"Get up early twice a week, and it's like you've been given an extra day of life." This aphorism, as spoken by Andrew McLean, is helping me understand why I've spent the last two hours following him through a predawn blackness, laboring uphill toward a ridge that rims Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon. </p><P>And it's an aphorism that soon rings true: By 8 a.m. we've watched the sunrise and skied today's chute du jour, a 40-degree, 2,000-vertical-foot slot stuffed with powder. For me, logging a day's worth of backcountry skiing before the day starts makes for a memorable morning. But after 10 winters of this routine, wouldn't McLean have grown weary of his so-called dawn patrols? "Nah," he says. "Skiing is life, sleep is optional." </p><P>Perhaps for adhering to such tenets, Andrew McLean is frequently labeled a skier's skier. He could also be labeled danger's disciple. Catalog the measures of his success and you can see why: He's won both Blackcomb's Couloir Extreme race and the equally grueling Whistler Peak to Valley race. He's bagged numerous first descents and takes "vacations" to ski Denali's Messner Couloir and the 8,000-meter Shishapangma in Tibet.</p><P>Danger also permeates his guidebook, <i>The Chuting Gallery: A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains.</i>Its easiest lines, like the 40-degree South Face of Mount Superior, are deemed too hazardous to warrant ink by traditional guidebooks. Its steepest, like the 70-degree descent of the Great White Icicle, were once the exclusive domain of ice climbers.</p><P>Some of McLean's descents are so dicey he's developed rope techniques for particularly lethal pitches. Though he admits belayed skiing is more stunt than sport, it's gotten him down several chutes he'd have otherwise ignored due to 65- to 70-degree cruxes. It has also helped him hone the razor's edge between skiing and flying. And that's important to know: "When skiing is life, it's a shame to let death spoil the party." As far as aphorisms go, that's another keeper. </p><P><br />
<hr width=99% /></p><P><b>Born: </b>February 24, 1961</p><P><b>Home slopes: </b>Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, backcountry</p><P><b>In the news: </b>McLean was the leader of the American ski expedition to Shishapangma, during which his friends Alex Lowe and David Bridges were killed by a freak avalanche.</p><P><b>First descents: </b><br />The Enclosure (Grand Teton, Wyoming)<br />Mowich Face (Mount Rainier, Washington)<br />The Gargoyle and The Big Bang (La Grave, France)<br />Triangle Wall and Montgomery (Wasatch Range, Utah)</p><P><b>Companions: </b>When girlfriends ask whether he loves them or skiing more, he tells the truth, "Which is why I live alone with my dog," McLean says.</p>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/dawn-patrols/2001/10/andrew-mclean-of-steep-and-steeper#commentsandrew mcleanblackcombblacknesschutesdenalifirst descentslittle cottonwood canyonpitchesskierwasatch mountainsskiing11490http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/mtnpub/content/images/old/thumb/01/10/skg0901SCbT.jpg51085andrew mclean-face shothttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/Face Shots<p>"Get up early twice a week, and it's like you've been given an extra day of life." This aphorism, as spoken by Andrew McLean, is helping me understand why I've spent the last two hours following him through a predawn blackness, laboring uphill toward a ridge that rims Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon. </p><P>And it's an aphorism that soon rings true: By 8 a.m. we've watched the sunrise and skied today's chute du jour, a 40-degree, 2,000-vertical-foot slot stuffed with powder. For me, logging a day's worth of backcountry skiing before the day starts makes for a memorable morning. But after 10 winters of this routine, wouldn't McLean have grown weary of his so-called dawn patrols? "Nah," he says. "Skiing is life, sleep is optional." </p><P>Perhaps for adhering to such tenets, Andrew McLean is frequently labeled a skier's skier. He could also be labeled danger's disciple. Catalog the measures of his success and you can see why: He's won both Blackcomb's Couloir Extreme race and the equally grueling Whistler Peak to Valley race. He's bagged numerous first descents and takes "vacations" to ski Denali's Messner Couloir and the 8,000-meter Shishapangma in Tibet.</p><P>Danger also permeates his guidebook, <i>The Chuting Gallery: A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains.</i>Its easiest lines, like the 40-degree South Face of Mount Superior, are deemed too hazardous to warrant ink by traditional guidebooks. Its steepest, like the 70-degree descent of the Great White Icicle, were once the exclusive domain of ice climbers.</p><P>Some of McLean's descents are so dicey he's developed rope techniques for particularly lethal pitches. Though he admits belayed skiing is more stunt than sport, it's gotten him down several chutes he'd have otherwise ignored due to 65- to 70-degree cruxes. It has also helped him hone the razor's edge between skiing and flying. And that's important to know: "When skiing is life, it's a shame to let death spoil the party." As far as aphorisms go, that's another keeper. </p><P><br />
<hr width=99% /></p><P><b>Born: </b>February 24, 1961</p><P><b>Home slopes: </b>Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, backcountry</p><P><b>In the news: </b>McLean was the leader of the American ski expedition to Shishapangma, during which his friends Alex Lowe and David Bridges were killed by a freak avalanche.</p><P><b>First descents: </b><br />The Enclosure (Grand Teton, Wyoming)<br />Mowich Face (Mount Rainier, Washington)<br />The Gargoyle and The Big Bang (La Grave, France)<br />Triangle Wall and Montgomery (Wasatch Range, Utah)</p><P><b>Companions: </b>When girlfriends ask whether he loves them or skiing more, he tells the truth, "Which is why I live alone with my dog," McLean says.</p>
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articleMon, 08 Oct 2001 19:39:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11490 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingTop 25 Skiers: Andrew McLeanhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2001/01/top-25-skiers-andrew-mclean?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<hr width=99% />SKIING's interview with Andrew McLean, one of North America's top 25 skiers. Andrew is best known for ski mountaineering at the absolute highest technical level and for skiing seemingly impossible lines on couloirs and ice climbs in Utah, Europe, and the Himalayas.<br />
<hr width=99% /><P><b>Name: </b>Andrew McLean</p><P><b>Age: </b>39 </p><P><b>Date of birth: </b>2/24/61</p><P><b>Age when you started skiing: </b>Four</p><P><b>Hometown/where you learned to ski: </b>Madonna Mountain, CT</p><P><b>Do you consider yourself a skier first or a mountaineer (and you can't say both)? </b>A skier.</p><P><b>Current ski mountain: </b>Wasatch Backcountry, UT</p><P><b>Claim to fame/results: </b>First descents of the Messner Couloir from the summit of Denali and a few first descents off the Grand Teton. Andrew's first book: <i>The Chuting Gallery: Guide to Steep Skiing in the Central Wasach Mountains.</i>Survived the avalanche that killed Alex Lowe on Shishapangma. </p><P><b>Do you have any pets? </b>Two Bernese mountain dogs, Otto and Greta.</p><P><b>Favorite food: </b>Sushi</p><P><b>Beverage of choice: </b>Twelve-year-old single malt scotch.</p><P><b>Favorite band: </b>Cake</p><P><b>Are you religious? </b>No</p><P><b>What kind of car do you drive?: </b>"A '92 Toyota four-wheel-drive pickup."</p><P><b>Last book you read: </b><i>Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership from Nixon to Clinton</i>by David R. Gergen.</p><P><b>Do you have any ski heroes? </b>Steve McKinney and Lou Dawson</p><P><b>Movies you've been in: </b><i>Shishapangma: A Celebration of Life</i>and <i>A History of Skiing in Utah.</i></p><P><b>Pastimes off the hill: </b>"Rock climbing, and design work on rock climbing and mountain climbing hardware like ice axes and crampons -- mostly metal stuff."</p><P><b>Plans for the future: </b>"I'm happy here in Utah doing what I'm doing. I'd like to keep traveling around, seeing different continents, skiing in the Himalayas."</p><P><b>How do you feel about backcountry skiing's increasing popularity? </b>"I think it's great. There's a lot more people than when I started. The easy pickings are tracked out these days. That's helped motivate me to go farther out to different areas."</p><P><b>Do you think fat skis are a game-improvement tool or a crutch? </b>"Hmmmmmm... an improvement tool."</p><P><b>Snowmobiles? Nuisance or neccesity? </b>"In the Wasatch, I think they're a nuisance. Other places, I think they're a nessecity. If I lived in Alaska, Montana, or Colorado, I'd probably own one, but not around here. Those areas have longer approaches."</p><P><b>What's the most harrowing near-miss you've had in the backcountry? </b>"Lots of avalanches, having them fracture right at my feet. Last year I had a very close call in Shishapanga. Two of my friends died."</p><P><b>Do you have any nicknames? If so, what do they mean? </b>"<i>Der Pacer.</i>My initials are AMC, which was derived to the AMC Pacer (the car). I like to go out and tour around so it seemed appropriate."</p><P><b>Any words of wisdom for our readers? </b>"Stay focused and live for your dreams."</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/dawn-patrols/2001/10/andrew-mclean-of-steep-and-steeper">Andrew McLean: Of Steep and Steeper</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2001/01/top-25-skiers-andrew-mclean#commentsDestinationsalex loweandrew mcleancouloirfirst descentsgrand tetonhimalayashistory of skiingice axesski mountainwasatch backcountryskiing11485http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/mtnpub/content/images/old/standard/01/01/skg0201-25uM.jpg45654mcleanhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/Face Shots<hr width=99% />SKIING's interview with Andrew McLean, one of North America's top 25 skiers. Andrew is best known for ski mountaineering at the absolute highest technical level and for skiing seemingly impossible lines on couloirs and ice climbs in Utah, Europe, and the Himalayas.<br />
<hr width=99% /><P><b>Name: </b>Andrew McLean</p><P><b>Age: </b>39 </p><P><b>Date of birth: </b>2/24/61</p><P><b>Age when you started skiing: </b>Four</p><P><b>Hometown/where you learned to ski: </b>Madonna Mountain, CT</p><P><b>Do you consider yourself a skier first or a mountaineer (and you can't say both)? </b>A skier.</p><P><b>Current ski mountain: </b>Wasatch Backcountry, UT</p><P><b>Claim to fame/results: </b>First descents of the Messner Couloir from the summit of Denali and a few first descents off the Grand Teton. Andrew's first book: <i>The Chuting Gallery: Guide to Steep Skiing in the Central Wasach Mountains.</i>Survived the avalanche that killed Alex Lowe on Shishapangma. </p><P><b>Do you have any pets? </b>Two Bernese mountain dogs, Otto and Greta.</p><P><b>Favorite food: </b>Sushi</p><P><b>Beverage of choice: </b>Twelve-year-old single malt scotch.</p><P><b>Favorite band: </b>Cake</p><P><b>Are you religious? </b>No</p><P><b>What kind of car do you drive?: </b>"A '92 Toyota four-wheel-drive pickup."</p><P><b>Last book you read: </b><i>Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership from Nixon to Clinton</i>by David R. Gergen.</p><P><b>Do you have any ski heroes? </b>Steve McKinney and Lou Dawson</p><P><b>Movies you've been in: </b><i>Shishapangma: A Celebration of Life</i>and <i>A History of Skiing in Utah.</i></p><P><b>Pastimes off the hill: </b>"Rock climbing, and design work on rock climbing and mountain climbing hardware like ice axes and crampons -- mostly metal stuff."</p><P><b>Plans for the future: </b>"I'm happy here in Utah doing what I'm doing. I'd like to keep traveling around, seeing different continents, skiing in the Himalayas."</p><P><b>How do you feel about backcountry skiing's increasing popularity? </b>"I think it's great. There's a lot more people than when I started. The easy pickings are tracked out these days. That's helped motivate me to go farther out to different areas."</p><P><b>Do you think fat skis are a game-improvement tool or a crutch? </b>"Hmmmmmm... an improvement tool."</p><P><b>Snowmobiles? Nuisance or neccesity? </b>"In the Wasatch, I think they're a nuisance. Other places, I think they're a nessecity. If I lived in Alaska, Montana, or Colorado, I'd probably own one, but not around here. Those areas have longer approaches."</p><P><b>What's the most harrowing near-miss you've had in the backcountry? </b>"Lots of avalanches, having them fracture right at my feet. Last year I had a very close call in Shishapanga. Two of my friends died."</p><P><b>Do you have any nicknames? If so, what do they mean? </b>"<i>Der Pacer.</i>My initials are AMC, which was derived to the AMC Pacer (the car). I like to go out and tour around so it seemed appropriate."</p><P><b>Any words of wisdom for our readers? </b>"Stay focused and live for your dreams."</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/dawn-patrols/2001/10/andrew-mclean-of-steep-and-steeper">Andrew McLean: Of Steep and Steeper</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
articleFri, 26 Jan 2001 19:17:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11485 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingTop 25 Skiers: Ski Mountaineershttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/american-skiing/1999/09/top-25-skiers-ski-mountaineers?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>Click on the related links at right for SKIING's top North American skiing mountaineers.</p><P>Our picks include skiers like:
<ul>
<li>Doug Coombs
</li><li>Eric Pehota
</li><li>Andrew McLean
<ul>
</ul></li></ul></p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/1999/09/top-25-skiers-doug-coombs">Top 25 Skiers: Doug Coombs</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2001/01/top-25-skiers-andrew-mclean">Top 25 Skiers: Andrew McLean</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/american-skiing/1999/09/top-25-skiers-ski-mountaineers#commentsamerican skiingandrew mcleandoug coombsskiersskiing11465http://www.skinet.com/skiing/http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Face Shots<p>Click on the related links at right for SKIING's top North American skiing mountaineers.</p><P>Our picks include skiers like:
<ul>
<li>Doug Coombs
</li><li>Eric Pehota
</li><li>Andrew McLean
<ul>
</ul></li></ul></p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/1999/09/top-25-skiers-doug-coombs">Top 25 Skiers: Doug Coombs</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/backcountry/destinations/2001/01/top-25-skiers-andrew-mclean">Top 25 Skiers: Andrew McLean</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
articleFri, 01 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11465 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingWhere's the biggest skiable descent left?http://www.skinet.com/skiing/andrew-mclean/1998/10/wheres-the-biggest-skiable-descent-left?lnk=rss&loc=andrew-mclean
<p>Ski mountaineers drool most slovenly over Mount McKinley's Wickersham Wall, the longest face in the world. The 14,000 feet of serac-riddled vert was first skied in 1994—but backwards, carved in little sections while climbing up before walking off the top. Then came a notable solo in 1998 by Adrian "the Romanian Nature. He started down Wickersham, got freaked out, skirted off to the side, and eventually traversed his way back to the middle before finishing the route. Nature refused to discuss the details of his epic, claiming—no joke—"She is my woman. Do you talk about sleeping with your wife? All of which is to say that the line right down the center has yet to be skied purely. "Those other attempts muddy it, says elite ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, "but it is undoubtedly the biggest vertical plum.v</p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/andrew-mclean/1998/10/wheres-the-biggest-skiable-descent-left#commentsandrew mcleandroolmountaineeringskiing10492http://www.skinet.com/skiing/http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Ask Dr. Flake<p>Ski mountaineers drool most slovenly over Mount McKinley's Wickersham Wall, the longest face in the world. The 14,000 feet of serac-riddled vert was first skied in 1994—but backwards, carved in little sections while climbing up before walking off the top. Then came a notable solo in 1998 by Adrian "the Romanian Nature. He started down Wickersham, got freaked out, skirted off to the side, and eventually traversed his way back to the middle before finishing the route. Nature refused to discuss the details of his epic, claiming—no joke—"She is my woman. Do you talk about sleeping with your wife? All of which is to say that the line right down the center has yet to be skied purely. "Those other attempts muddy it, says elite ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, "but it is undoubtedly the biggest vertical plum.v</p>
articleSun, 01 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0000SkiNet Editor10492 at http://www.skinet.com/skiing